Clive Dunn, best known for playing the rambling veteran-turned-butcher Lance Corporal Jones in Dad's Army, has died at the age of 92.

Dunn died on Tuesday in Portugal, where he had lived for decades, following a short illness.

Dunn was a versatile artist who performed in theatres and music halls, and even had a No 1 hit song with Grandad.

But it was the character of L/Corporal Jones, with his catchphrase “Don’t Panic”, that turned Dunn into a much-loved TV personality.

"He will be a real loss to the acting profession," said his agent, Peter Charlesworth.

He added that Dunn would be "sorely missed".

Dunn was born into a showbusiness family in London on January 9, 1920.

He started his acting career in the 1930s, but when World War Two broke out, he went to serve in the Army.

Dunn was a much-loved TV actor

He served in Greece before being captured and spending four years as a prisoner of war.

After the conflict, Dunn's acting career resumed, and in 1968, the actor landed his trademark role of Jones in Dad's Army, a sitcom about life on the home front.

The character, a veteran of the Sudan wars and other colonial conflicts, was notorious for his often rambling recollections of his time in the Army, as well as for his enthusiasm for the bayonet, which gave rise to his often repeated cry of "They don't like it up 'em!".

Dunn entitled his 1986 autobiography Permission To Speak after another one of his Dad's Army catchphrases.

He also played the lead character in the TV series Grandad in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Dunn is survived by his wife and two daughters. He spent his last years in Portugal where he painted portraits and landscapes until his sight failed.